Jonathan Fenby

Journalist and historian

Jonathan Fenby has had an illustrious and wide-ranging career in journalism: he held editorial positions at The Guardian, The Independent and Reuters World Service, before being appointed Editor of The Observer in 1993. From 1995 to 2000 he was Editor of the South China Morning Post, covering, most crucially, the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. Fenby has also published a number of books, largely on Chinese history, including Dealing with the Dragon: A Year in the New Hong Kong (2001), Dragon Throne: the Imperial Dynasties of China (2008) and The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power (2009).

Fenby holds a teaching post at the Centre for Chinese Studies at SOAS, as well as featuring on television broadcasts and conferences across the world. He is currently Director (China Research) at the research service, Trusted Sources. He was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000 and a Chevalier of the French Order of Merit in 1991.